Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Florida Read online

  Kids’ Corner

  Only in Florida

  Gators and manatees aren’t the only animals that come from Florida. Unlike most of their fellow fowl, black-bellied whistling ducks live in trees, or even chimneys, and make a high-pitched “pe-che-che” whistle as they fly. You’ll recognize them right away by their red bills, long pink legs, and, yes, black bellies.

  * * *

  Where to Stay on the Space Coast

  With more than 2,500 hotels and motels, prices and lodgings in this area range from low and basic to outrageous and ultra-luxurious. While most accommodations trumpet their proximity to the beaches, there are a few hidden gems that offer a unique experience in outdoor living.

  Price Guide

  The following price ranges are based on one night’s accommodation in high season for a family of four, inclusive of service charges and additional taxes.

  $: Under $150; $$: $150–300; $$$: over $300

  Agency

  Cocoa Beach Best

  www.cocoabeachbest.com

  Located in the heart of the Space Coast, this agency offers self-catering condominium rentals – from one-bedroom efficiency apartments and tower suites to five-bedroom pool homes – with nightly and weekly rates.

  < The Space Coast

  Cape Canaveral

  Resorts

  Radisson Resort at the Port

  8701 Astronaut Blvd, 32920; 321 784 0000; www.radisson.com

  The closest resort to Port Canaveral allows views of incoming cruise ships from certain balconies. The outdoor recreation area features waterfalls and a hot tub. A microwave and refrigerator are available in each room, and breakfast is free. The Kennedy Space Center is a 30-minute drive away.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Swimming pool

  Royal Mansions Resort

  8600 Ridgewood Ave, 32920; 321 784 8484; www.royalmansions.com

  This resort offers oceanfront condo rentals on a private beach. Each apartment has a full kitchen, and outside there is a clubhouse with BBQ grills, hot tubs, and bike rentals, as well as a private walkway to the beach. Breakfast is included. A two-night minimum stay is required.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Parking • Swimming pool • Kitchen facilities

  Holiday Inn Club Vacations Cape Canaveral Beach Resort

  1000 Shorewood Dr, 32920; 321 799 4900; www.ihg.com/holidayinnclubvacations

  Right on the white sand beach, this resort has a wild water park, a lazy river, and a large pool. Gaming facilities include those for mini-golf, tennis, and shuffleboard. Water sport rentals are available on the beach.

  $$–$$$ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Family rooms • Kitchen facilities • Swimming pool • Babysitting

  Hotel

  Residence Inn Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach

  8959 Astronaut Blvd, 32920; 321 323 1100; www.marriott.com

  Set amid lovely landscaped gardens and scenic beachside surroundings, these Key-West-style suites come with free breakfast and an evening social, and light dinner on Mondays through Wednesdays.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Kitchen facilities • Parking • Swimming pool

  Camping

  Jetty Park Campground

  400 Jetty Rd, 32920; 321 783 7111; www.jettyparkbeachandcampground.com

  A state-owned site offering over 150 pitches, from “rustic” – a tent beneath the trees – to “improved,” with electricity and running water. There is fishing from the pier or beach, and facilities include a bait and tackle shop, laundry, and showers.

  $ • Beach • Playground

  Cocoa Beach

  Resorts

  Beach Island Resort

  1125 S Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, 32931; 321 784 5720; www.beachislandresort.com

  This family-friendly resort has one- and two-bedroom accommodations, with fully equipped kitchens and dining rooms. The white-sand beach is a short walk away, and there is a heated pool and hot tub on the resort premises.

  $–$$ • Garden • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Kitchen facilities • Swimming pool

  International Palms Resort

  1300 N Atlantic Ave, 32931; 321 783 2271; www.internationalpalms.com

  An extensive beachside resort, the Palms offers suites and bunkbed-equipped “family fun rooms.” Youngsters will love the game room and pirate-themed water park. Adults can use the gym and fitness center, and tennis and shuffleboard courts. Surfboard rental is available.

  $–$$ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Family rooms • Swimming pool • Beach

  Pirate-themed water park for kids at International Palms Resort, Cocoa Beach

  Discovery Beach Resort

  300 Barlow Ave, 32931; 321 868 7777; www.discoverybeachresort.com

  This condo rental of one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites has views of the beach, perfect for watching giant cruise ships sail by on their way to Port Canaveral. Full kitchens, hot tubs and sauna, tennis and basketball courts, as well as an arcade room, keep everyone busy.

  $$ • Restaurant • Family rooms • Kitchen facilities • Swimming pool • Beach

  The Resort on Cocoa Beach

  1600 N Atlantic Ave, 32931; 321 783 4000; www.theresortoncocoabeach.com

  A few minutes from the Kennedy Space Center, this condo rental resort has two-bedroom suites with balconies and ocean views. Along with a fitness center, there are shuffleboard and beach volleyball courts, and screenings of family-friendly movies. Kids can play on the private beach or in the game room.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Family rooms • Swimming pool • Beach

  Hotels

  Four Points Cocoa Beach

  4001 N Atlantic Ave, 32931; 321 783 8717; www.fourpointscocoabeach.com

  Housed within the “World’s Largest Surf Complex,” this hotel has a bright, surfer-style decor that makes it look like something from SpongeBob SquarePants. Some rooms come with views into the shopping and entertainment area, which offers a huge shark and exotic fish aquarium as well as shops and beach rentals.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Parking • Swimming pool

  The Inn at Cocoa Beach

  4300 Ocean Beach Blvd, 32931; 321 799 3460; www.theinnatcocoabeach.com

  Many of the 50 rooms in this French-country-style inn offer both pool and ocean views, while others have Jacuzzi tubs and private balconies with sea views. There are exercise and massage rooms, and a steam bath. Breakfast is free and there is an afternoon wine and cheese bar for adults.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Swimming pool • Beach

  Motels

  America's Best Value Inn - Cocoa

  3220 N Cocoa Blvd, 32926; 321 632 4561; www.americasbestvalueinn.com

  This inexpensive motel offers 144 clean rooms with free breakfast and a shuttle service to Port Canaveral.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Lift • Parking • Swimming pool

  Anthony’s on the Beach

  3499 S Atlantic Ave, 32931; 321 784 8829; www.anthonysonthebeach.com

  Built in 1958, Anthony’s is a slice of old Florida beach life. The 19 efficiency rentals have full kitchens and dining areas. The motel is off the main road and affords a bit of quiet in an otherwise traffic-heavy area. The beach is right outside the door.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Kitchen facilities • Beach

  Self-catering

  Wakulla Suites

  3550 N Atlantic Ave, 32931; 321 783 2230; wakullasuites.com

  Family-owned since 1972, this property of two-bedroom suites offers a tropical courtyard setting and a backyard beach with volleyball nets. There is an arcade game room and a lobby snack bar. Beach chair and kayak rentals are available.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Kitchen facilities • Parking • Swimming pool

  Beach Place Guesthouses

  1445 S Atlantic Ave, 32931; 321 783 4045; beachplaceguesthouses.com

  This complex of 16 guesthouses, is located in a quiet residential neighborhood and is just steps from the beach. The property has three decks with ocean views, hammocks, oversize
lounges, and a garden for relaxing.

  $$$ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Swimming pool • Beach

  Melbourne Beach

  Resort

  Seashell Suites Resort

  8795 S Hwy A1A, 32951; 321 409 0500; www.seashellsuites.com

  An interesting combination of luxury resort and eco-friendly environment, this place was built with non-toxic, nature-friendly materials. A secluded getaway, it offers eight two-bedroom suites, a brick sundeck, and a private beach.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Swimming pool

  Bed & Breakfast

  Port d’Hiver Bed and Breakfast

  201 Ocean Ave, 32951; 321 722 2727; www.portdhiver.com

  This B&B has the air of a boutique hotel. Each of the 11 rooms and suites are individually styled. Room service is available at breakfast. Light hors d’oeuvres are served in the early evening.

  $$–$$$ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Parking • Swimming pool

  Spacious and elegantly styled suite in Port d’Hiver Bed and Breakfast, Melbourne Beach

  Titusville

  Hotels

  Days Inn Kennedy Space Center

  3755 Cheney Hwy, 32780; 321 269 4480; tinyurl.com/7qxxnph

  Located closer to Brevard Zoo than the Kennedy Space Center, this pet-friendly hotel offers laundry facilities and a 24-hour front desk service.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Family rooms • Swimming pool

  Holiday Inn Titusville-Kennedy Space Center

  4715 Helen Hauser Blvd, 32780; 321 383 0200; tinyurl.com/6ln6q4c

  Up to four children aged 12 and under eat free at the on-site Bapa’s Bistro restaurant with the Kids Eat Free program. In addition, every room comes with a mini-refrigerator and microwave. There is also a fitness center, and cribs are available.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Lift • Swimming pool

  Camping

  Manatee Hammock Camp Grounds

  7275 South US Hwy 1, 32780; 321 264 5083; www.brevardcounty.us/parksrecreation/north/ManateeHammock

  Great wildlife-viewing opportunities await in the extensive grounds around these 35 campsites, which offer water and electricity, hot showers, and laundry facilities. A two-night minimum stay is required.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Swimming pool

  >>Hotels Map

  < Exploring Florida

  The Northeast

  The First Coast has been attracting visitors for centuries – the first European to set foot here was Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, in 1513. By 1562, Pedro Menendez had established a Spanish colony at St. Augustine. Long before the 1920s tourist boom in Miami, the Northeast’s great weather and superb beaches meant it was a mecca for visitors; today’s vacationers can add to these a host of newer family attractions.

  A canopied street in the historic city of St. Augustine

  Highlights

  Fernandina Beach

  From the shrimp fleet’s docks to the Victorian-era homes, historic Fernandina Beach is a great place to stroll, shop, and restaurant-hop.

  Talbot Islands State Parks

  Hike through a maritime forest to the beach, investigate the past at a historic plantation, and learn to canoe, at the Talbot Islands park system.

  Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

  Pet the stingrays, feed the giraffes, roar with the jaguars, ride a tiger on the wildlife carousel, and see animals in their natural habitats in this award-winning zoo with more than 1,500 inhabitants (see Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens).

  St. Augustine

  Walk through this fascinating “Ancient City,” founded in 1565, with its historic district allowing a look back into the past (see St. Augustine).

  Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS)

  With its planetarium, Ice Age fossils, historic teddy bears, and an interactive children’s center, this Daytona Beach museum is always a hit with families (see Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS)).

  * * *

  The Best of The Northeast

  Snorkelers in the clear waters of Blue Spring State Park, located a few miles southwest of Daytona

  While central Florida has famous theme parks and southern Florida plenty of glamour, the Northeast showcases the state in all its natural beauty. The region not only has many miles of soft-sand beaches, but also remarkably diverse parks where families can swim, shell, hike, fish, and kayak. In addition, numerous attractions, historic sites, and kid-friendly museums keep every member of the family entertained.

  Park it here

  Northeastern Florida boasts a number of unusual sights – there are no cookie-cutter parks here. Begin the tour at Big Talbot Island State Park’s Boneyard Beach – its huge windswept skeletons of oaks and cedars create a landscape unlike any other. Head farther south to see herds of plains bison and Florida Cracker cows in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park near Ocala. Cool off at Blue Spring State Park, close to Orange City, where manatees like to spend the winter. Round it off by going down all 236 steps into the miniature rain forest at the bottom of the sinkhole known as the Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park, near Gainesville.

  Historic encounters

  Watch skilled re-enactors bring Florida’s history to life at historic sites across the region. At Fort Clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach, soldiers re-create life at the fort during the Civil War. But St. Augustine offers the best opportunity to see life as it was lived in the 1740s. There are several places in the Old Town area that feature costumed actors on a daily basis, and the city also hosts large-scale events regularly. Two of the most popular annual events are the Sack of St. Augustine – with more than 60 buccaneers, Spanish soldiers, and townspeople – and the British Night Watch, when families can join the parade of British guards who march by the light of candles and lanterns to secure the city.

  Scientifically speaking

  Kids who have an inclination for science will love the Northeast’s great museums and research centers. Start a science trek in the Museum of Science & History at Jacksonville, then spend an entire day at Marineland Dolphin Adventure south of St. Augustine. Although the special programs here can be expensive, they offer rare opportunities such as being a dolphin trainer for a day. Space buffs will not want to miss the planetarium in the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach. End the final leg of the trip at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville – one of the top five natural history museums in the US and the largest “Smithsonian of the south.”

  Massive fossilized sharks’ jaws at the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florda, Gainesville

  The big three

  Hit northern Florida’s high spots with a trip to its three urban hubs. Begin at Jacksonville, which offers the lure of the local NFL team – the Jacksonville Jaguars – as well as real jaguars in its award-winning Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. Kids will also like the fun games and water rides at Adventure Landing. A half-hour drive south is St. Augustine and its myriad historic sites and outstanding restaurants. Cannon firings at Castillo de San Marcos, and the ghost tour at St. Augustine Lighthouse are true kid-pleasers. After a tour of St. Augustine, cruise down A1A to Daytona Beach, with a stopover at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park for a picnic before heading for the city’s famous Public beaches and the Boardwalk. Don’t miss the Museum of Arts and Sciences, a hidden gem with an outstanding interactive children’s section.

  < The Northeast

  The Northeast

  Splashing in the fountains near the Daytona Beach Boardwalk

  Some of the most intriguing views of Northeast Florida can be found along SR A1A as it winds through a string of quirky beach towns. Although it is hard to compete with 120 miles (193 km) of white-sand beaches, this region has many other sights worth visiting. Jacksonville and Daytona Beach offer the big-city experience; Fernandina Beach is a quaint town with superb state parks nearby; and St. Augustine boasts a venerable Spanish heritage. Jacksonville is the main transportation hub for the region. Several east–west routes link the coast an
d I-75, inland.

  1. Jacksonville

  2. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

  3. Talbot Islands State Parks

  4. Fernandina Beach

  5. Fort Clinch State Park

  6. Cumberland Island National Seashore

  7. St. Augustine

  8. Lightner Museum/Ponce de León Hotel

  9. Castillo de San Marcos

  10. Environmental Education Center

  11. Anastasia Island

  12. Marineland Dolphin Adventure

  13. Washington Oaks Gardens State Park